The basic concept is pretty darn simple---and can be reduced to one page of big print.....because there are 50+ plans and 50 states plus college plans and 50+ state and district laws and interaction with property, tax, divorce, state tax, federal tax and perhaps a few more the details can get to be daunting if one choses to go into them. But for that matter if I get 10 lbs of fine print proxy statements do I really read them all?
Actually I suspect a few folks make it deliberately complex so they can earn a fee to justify navigation of a marketplace--and as we all know, few products sell themselves--so paid advocates increase sales. I have no problem with fees for services.
About the only confusion I think there is about 529s is as to priority to save for college in contet with other family priorities--my guess is many families have it a few notches to high where a more objective view might suggest other tools for other issues.
The major confusion I sense is in the vast majority of public schools the priorities are on prevention of failures (on the NCLB scorecard) and there is but token emphasis on early family planning for college in terms of academics or finances. Hence the Sage program is a very targeted market recruiting tool that works!
And I have a personal hang up on the increasing Robin Hood practices of "taxing" those who save for the benefit of those who do not or will --so rather than address the core issues, the politicians "solve it" by making it easier for me to save more!
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Drew
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